§ Mrs. BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department is taking to increase the availability of parenting classes in England and Wales. [110840]
§ Hilary BennMeasures in the Criminal Justice Bill and the Anti-social Behaviour Bill will increase demand for parenting classes. Youth Offending Teams receive grants from the Youth Justice Board and prioritise in response to local demands. Parenting classes are delivered in response to parenting orders and on a voluntary basis. All Youth Offending Teams are expected to offer parenting classes or have plans for implementing a parenting service by April 2004. The Youth Justice Board is reviewing the provision of parenting programmes and this review will also extend to the Secure Estate where some parenting classes are already being delivered. The Home Office Family Support Grant provides £5.8 million a year to a range of voluntary organisations for parenting support, including parenting classes. Since 1999–2000 it has funded 108 organisations to deliver 182 different projects across England plus grants to the National Family and Parenting Institute, Parentline Plus, Home Start UK and the Parenting Education and Support Forum (which provides a range of services and support to other organisations that deliver parenting classes).
In the 2002 Spending Review, the Government announced the creation of a new Parenting Fund worth £25 million (£5/10/10 million) over three years from 2003–04 for delivery of parenting support through the voluntary sector.
§ Mrs. BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parenting programmes are being provided in England and Wales in each county; what the cost is of each place on a parenting programme; and how many additional places on parenting programmes are going to be funded in(a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05. [110841]
§ Hilary BennFigures are not available for the number of parenting programmes being provided by county in England and Wales.
The cost of each place on a parenting programme depends on various factors including the type of programme and the number of parents attending. The cost is currently estimated as approximately £750 per place on average but with expected increased volume of courses during next financial year this is estimated to fall to around £500 per place.
Figures are not available for the number of additional places which will be funded in 2003–04 and 2004–05. The Youth Justice Board makes a general grant available to Youth Offending Teams which have to prioritise in response to local demands some of which will be driven by parenting orders others will be interventions including parenting contracts on a voluntary basis.
70W
§ Mrs. BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parents in England and Wales who have been ordered to attend parenting programmes are awaiting places on such courses. [110842]
§ Hilary BennThis information is not available centrally. The normal process is that when a court considers making a parenting order it consults the Youth Offending Team and makes an order only if there is a local parenting scheme available.
§ Mrs. BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parenting orders have been issued in England and Wales in each year that they have been available. [110843]
§ Hilary BennParenting orders were piloted between 30 September 1998 and 31 March 2000 during which 284 parenting orders were issued. Since then, the Youth Justice Board has been collating the figures by financial year, as shown in the table.
Parenting orders made since April 2000 April 2000 to March 2001 979 April 2001 to 2002 1,216 April to December 2002 (latest available figures) 911